Birdman was the toast of the 87th Oscars on Sunday (22Feb15), earning Best Picture as Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore also celebrated big wins at Hollywood's big night.
Birdman filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu was named Best Director, while he also claimed Best Original Screenplay and Emmanuel Lubezki received the Best Cinematography award. Redmayne couldn't contain his excitement as he collected the Best Actor prize for his Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything, and Julianne Moore scored Best Actress for Still Alice, while fellow awards season favourites and first-time nominees J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) walked away with the best supporting acting prizes.
Wes Anderson also had reason to celebrate as The Grand Budapest Hotel, which tied with Birdman for the most nominations with nine nods apiece, scored four titles, including Best Original Score for Alexandre Desplat. Each of the nominations for Best Original Song were performed, but it was John Legend and Common's powerful rendition of Selma track "Glory" which left actors David Oyelowo and Chris Pine in tears at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre as the audience gave the musicians a standing ovation. "Glory" went on to win the category. Meanwhile, Jennifer Hudson honoured the stars lost in the past year by singing "I Can't Let Go" as part of the In Memoriam segment, and Lady Gaga helped to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Oscar-winning movie The Sound of Music with an impressive medley of hits from the Dame Julie Andrews musical, including Edelweiss, Climb Ev'ry Mountain and the title song.
Ceremony host Neil Patrick Harris also showed off his vocals by opening the 2015 prizegiving with a comedic song and dance number with Anna Kendrick and actor/rocker Jack Black.
The full list of winners at the 2015 Oscars is:
Best Motion Picture of the Year: Birdman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Best Achievement in Directing: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
Best Writing, Original Screenplay: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo, Birdman
Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: Ida (Poland)
Best Animated Feature Film: Big Hero 6 Best Documentary, Feature: Citizenfour
Best Documentary, Short Subject: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Best Short Film, Animated: Feast Best Short Film, Live Action: The Phone Call
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: "Glory" from Selma, by John Legend and Common
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Achievement in Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Best Achievement in Film Editing: Tom Cross, Whiplash
Best Achievement in Costume Design: Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Achievement in Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Interstellar Best Achievement in Sound Editing: American Sniper
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: Whiplash
Academy Honorary Awards: Jean-Claude Carriere Hayao Miyazaki Maureen O'Hara Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Harry Belafonte.

Boyhood, The Theory Of Everything and The Grand Budapest Hotel were among the big winners at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards on Sunday (08Feb15). Boyhood scored the coveted Best Film prize, while filmmaker Richard Linklater claimed Best Director and Patricia Arquette was named Best Supporting Actress.
Hawke accepted the director award on Linklater's behalf, as the filmmaker had opted to attend the Directors Guild Awards in Los Angeles the previous night (07Feb15) instead. Hawke says, "He was hijacked at the DGAs and sat there losing and is going to be really, frankly, p**sed off, that he’s not here tonight."
Linklater lost the top directing prize at the DGA ceremony to Birdman's Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu.
The Theory of Everything was another triple winner, scoring Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Leading Actor for Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of physicist Stephen Hawking.
In his acceptance speech, the star paid tribute to Hawking and his wife Jane, who were in the audience at London's Royal Opera House, saying, "I would like to thank them for their trust in us, their generosity and their kindness and for reminding me of the great strength that comes from having the will to live a full and passionate life."
The Grand Budapest Hotel landed the most prizes of the night with five, but its biggest win was in the Best Original Screenplay category for writer/director Wes Anderson, with the remaining accolades coming in the technical categories, including Costume Design, Production Design and Original Music.
Julianne Moore continued her awards season streak with the Leading Actress honour for Still Alice, while J.K. Simmons won Best Supporting Actor for Whiplash and Unbroken's Jack O'Connell was named the EE Rising Star.
Other winners included Citizenfour for Best Documentary and The Lego Movie, which picked up the Best Animated Film prize, despite being snubbed in the Oscar nominations.
During the ceremony, British royal The Duke of Cambridge and Robert Downey, Jr. paid special tribute to late actor/director Lord Richard Attenborough via video message. Attenborough, who directed Downey, Jr. in 1992 biopic Chaplin and served as BAFTA Chairman for eight years, died in August (14). The Iron Man star said, "I'm sad. I miss you Dicky," before reciting the opening lyrics to Smile by Charlie Chaplin.
The main In Memoriam tribute section honoured a number of late stars including Robin Williams, Lauren Bacall, Harold Ramis and Mickey Rooney.
The full winners list is as follows:
Best Film: Boyhood
Outstanding British Film: The Theory of Everything
Best Director: Richard Linklater - Boyhood
Best Leading Actor: Eddie Redmayne - The Theory of Everything
Best Leading Actress: Julianne Moore - Still Alice
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons - Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette - Boyhood
Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Adapted Screenplay: Anthony McCarten - The Theory of Everything
Best Original Music: Alexandre Desplat - The Grand Budapest Hotel
EE Rising Star Award: Jack O'Connell
Best Animated Film: The Lego Movie
Best Documentary: Citizenfour
Best Film Not in the English Language: Ida
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: Stephen Beresford, David Livingstone - Pride
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki - Birdman
Best Special Visual Effects: Paul Franklin, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter - Interstellar
Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Costume Design: Milena Canonero - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Makeup and Hair: Frances Hannon, Mark Coulier - The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Sound: Thomas Curley, Ben Wilkins, Craig Mann - Whiplash
Best Editing: Tom Cross - Whiplash
Best Short Film: Boogaloo And Graham
Best Short Animation: The Bigger Picture
BAFTA Fellowship: Mike Leigh
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: BBC Films.

Musicians Blake Shelton and Vanilla Ice have been tapped to join the star-studded cast of Adam Sandler's new Netflix movie.
The funnyman signed on to star in four original movies shown exclusively on the Internet streaming service, and the first film, Ridiculous 6, puts a comedic spin on ensemble westerns such as The Magnificent Seven.
Sandler, who also co-wrote the script with frequent collaborator Tim Herlihy, will play a man who grew up as an orphan on a Native American reservation. Country star Shelton will make his film debut as legendary sheriff Wyatt Earp, while rapper-turned reality TV star Vanilla Ice has been cast as noted American author Mark Twain, according to TheWrap.com.
Nick Nolte, Luke Wilson, and Taylor Lautner are also set to star in the film, while Sandler movie regulars such as Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi, Dan Aykroyd and Jon Lovitz will also make appearances.

Funnyman David Walliams penned a children's book inspired by his pal Simon Cowell's baby son because he had no idea how else to congratulate the music mogul on becoming a dad. The Little Britain star has branched into writing kids' literature and he put his new skill to the test when he wanted to mark the birth of Eric and congratulate Cowell and the baby's mother, Lauren Silverman.
Walliams reportedly presented The X Factor boss with 50 copies of the book backstage at a TV studio in May (14), and he has now revealed the reason for the special project.
He tells U.K. talk show host Graham Norton, "It's very hard to know what to get a billionaire who has everything he wants in life, so I wrote a book especially for him and Lauren."

Blur rocker Graham Coxon, The Slits star Viv Albertine and Madness bassist Mark Bedford have helped nurture young talent by judging a school music contest in London. The musicians agreed to put their rock wisdom to good use by overseeing a battle of the bands contest at Camden School For Girls in the British capital.
The trio held up scores for the young students taking part in the competition during the school's fundraising summer fair on Friday (13Jun14).
Headteacher Elizabeth Kitcatt tells British newspaper the Ham&High of the celebrity judging panel, "We're a community school, which means the families mainly live in the neighbourhood and know each other. It's all very close and the parents at Camden are all very socially aware, so they will help. They are not the pretentious kind of celebrity."

The Kinks rocker Ray Davies was forced to miss his induction into America's Songwriters Hall of Fame on Thursday (12Jun14) following the death of his sister. The musician was one of the big names selected by museum officials in May (14) but he skipped the ceremony in New York City after his sibling Joyce passed away.
The Waterloo Sunset hitmaker accepted the honour via video, and he also took to Facebook.com to write, "I am profoundly honoured to have been inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame and disappointed not to have been at the event in New York but I felt it necessary to be near my family at this sad time of my sisters (sic) funeral.
"I wish to thank everyone at the Songwriters Hall of Fame who voted for me and give a special thanks to all the loyal Kinks fans who have stood by us all these years. I hope to repay such loyal support by trying my best to continue to write songs in the future that are worthy of such an accolade."
Jon Bon Jovi was on hand to pay tribute to Davies at the ceremony, performing his hits You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night at the end of the show.
Other acts honoured included Scottish singer Donovan, Graham Gouldman of the band 10cc, singer/songwriter Mark James, who penned Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds, and Jim Weatherly, who is known for writing Gladys Knight & The Pips hits Neither One of Us and Midnight Train to Georgia.
Performers such as Miguel, Chita Rivera, Chubby Checker and Jackie Evancho also took to the stage at the event.

Walt Disney Studios via Everett Collection
Actor Mark Ruffalo almost blew his chances in Hollywood in his very first audition because the producers were appalled by his smell. The Avengers star began his movie career in the mid 1990s and he went on to enjoy several acclaimed roles and was even nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar in 2011 for his part in The Kids Are All Right.
However, his time in Tinseltown almost ended before it had even begun when his bad body odour left film bosses at his first interview gagging. Ruffalo tells U.K. talk show host Graham Norton, "I had the audition and when I spoke to my agent after he said, 'Did you go to the gym beforehand?' When I said, 'No, why?' he said, 'They said you smelt bad!' I've cleaned up my act since!"
The interview is due to be broadcast in Britain on Friday (06Jun14), and fellow guest Michael Sheen recalls his worst ever job interview, when he was sick in a Paramount producer's office. The Queen star says, "I was meeting with the head of casting at Paramount. It was a big deal. My daughter and her mother had a stomach bug but I thought I was okay and this was my big break. Halfway through I thought I was going to throw up and then I did - projectile vomit all over her office... my big break was cleaning up my own vomit on my knees!"

Actors Mark Ruffalo and Michael Sheen proved they have hidden depths during a U.K. talk show by showing off their beatboxing and circus skills. The two screen stars were both invited onto The Graham Norton Show as guests, and they were keen to display their alternative sides when the host invited them to demonstrate their secret talents.
The Queen star Sheen stunned the audience by 'beatboxing' the famous theme tune to TV series Dallas, and The Avengers actor Ruffalo proved he would be a great ringmaster by showing off his circus skills. British actress Amanda Holden, who was a fellow guest on the show, then joined in the fun by standing on her head.
The episode is due to air in the U.K. on Friday (06Jun14).